REUTERS: Southampton have signed striker Danny Ings from Liverpool on a permanent deal after an impressive loan spell at St Mary's, the Premier League club said on Monday.

Ings joined the south coast side on a season-long loan in August 2018, and the club on Monday said it has now signed the player on a three-year deal.

British media reported the Saints paid Liverpool 20 million pounds for the 26-year-old.

Ings, who scored seven league goals in 24 games with the Saints last season, reported back at their training base for the first day of pre-season on Monday and said he was happy with the move.

"It feels good," Ings, who has one England cap to his name, told the club website https://southamptonfc.com/news/2019-07-01/announcement-danny-ings-southampton-liverpool-permanent-transfer-completed.

"Obviously being here for a season already, I felt like it was very up and down for me personally, with a few niggles and small injuries, and that was off the back of not having a strong pre-season.

"Now I've signed permanently, I feel great. I've looked after myself over the summer, and I'm just raring to go for the new season."

(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)